This apparatus relates to apparatus for lifting and moving articles and containers, and, more particularly, to a crane useful in storage facilities.
Storage buildings having a dome-shaped enclosure can be constructed inexpensively and quickly, in large or small sizes. The support of the structure of the building is based upon the arch principle, so that even large domes of several hundred feet diameter require no internal bracing or structure. There is a large, completely unobstructed volume that can be used for storage. A hemispherical dome shape has the further advantage that the surface area of the building is minimized for the total volume within the building, reducing heat transfer through the walls of the building. This minimization of heat transfer is important if the interior of the storage building is to be maintained at a different temperature than the outside environment.
A drawback to the use of domed storage facilities is that the space inside the dome is difficult to utilize completely and efficiently. The height of the dome is very small, approaching zero, near its periphery, and very large under the center of the dome. There is therefore unusable "dead space" near the periphery of the dome and a very high ceiling nearer the center of the dome. When access aisles are provided between the stored articles, the volume that is practically usable may be quite small.
There is therefore a need for an approach that permits better utilization of the storage space within a domed storage facility. This approach would desirably be sufficiently flexible that a wide variety of articles could be conveniently stored in the dome. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.